This invention relates to a motor vehicle headlamp assembly.
A motor vehicle typically includes a pair of headlamp assemblies supported on a body of the vehicle in respective ones of a pair of laterally separated headlamp openings or ports in the body. Each headlamp assembly includes a plastic housing, a lamp bulb on the housing, and a reflector on the housing which focuses into a concentrated beam the light emitted by the lamp bulb. In a headlamp assembly commonly identified as xe2x80x9cexternal aimingxe2x80x9d, the reflector is supported on the plastic housing without adjustment and the concentrated light beam is aimed by adjusting the position of the plastic housing relative to the vehicle body. A clearance gap between the headlamp port and the plastic housing of the external aiming headlamp assembly is closed by a flexible seal including an inner lip secured to the plastic housing flush against an outside surface thereof, an outer lip resiliently bearing against a peripheral edge of the headlamp port, and an externally visible convex web between and integral with the inner and outer lips. The seal is most aesthetically appealing when the exposure of the convex web appears uniform around the headlamp assembly. It is, however, a challenge to consistently attain such uniform exposure because the position of the plastic housing of the headlamp assembly after aiming varies from vehicle body to vehicle body due to manufacturing tolerances which stack up during assembly of the vehicle bodies. Accordingly, manufacturers continue to seek external aiming headlamp assemblies in which uniform exposure of a flexible seal on a plastic housing of the headlamp assembly is easily and consistently attainable.
This invention is a new and improved external aiming headlamp assembly including a plastic housing having a reflector thereon which focuses into a concentrated beam light emitted by a lamp bulb on the housing. The plastic housing is supported on a vehicle body in a headlamp port thereof for universal articulation to aim the headlamp assembly. A flexible seal of the headlamp assembly includes an outer lip bearing against a peripheral edge of the headlamp port, an inner lip flush against an outside surface of the plastic housing, and an integral convex web exposed between headlamp port and the plastic housing. A plurality of integral posts on the plastic housing protrude through a corresponding plurality of slots in the inner lip and include barbs which prevent dislodgment of the inner lip from the plastic housing. The slots in an adjustable fraction of the inner lip are elongated perpendicular to the headlamp port and cooperate with the corresponding integral posts in guiding the adjustable fraction of the inner lip for translation through a range of positions relative to the plastic housing to vary the exposure of the convex web. The edges of the elongated slots are interrupted by notches which grip the integral posts during aiming of the headlamp assembly to retain the adjustable fraction of the inner lip in a position corresponding to maximum exposure of the convex web. After aiming, the seal is adjusted by manually thrusting the adjustable fraction of the inner lip into the headlamp port until uniform exposure of the convex web is attained. The notches in the edges of the elongated slots ratchet over the integral posts and then, after the seal is adjusted, grip the integral posts to retain the adjustable fraction of the inner lip in its adjusted position.